Recently I have been online a lot – I have created my website, posted paintings regularly on tumblr and facebook, I have had my work reviewed, I have even tweeted. I have had a relatively good response to all these virtual ‘pictures in bottles’ which have been floated out into the online ether - good, bad or ugly - an 'online presence' is developing.

So, now – time to get painting again – there are several exhibitions I would like to take part in, and I haveideas for larger pieces of work piling up like crazy.

Now as I look up from my computer screen I am startled by the colours of the new season: red and rust of the rowan trees – laden with berries - leaves turning, bare stubble fields, last green of the grass, and always the blue of the hills.

Along with all the colour and texture around me, the other inspirational highlight this week has been attending a lecture by John Newling, at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen – part of their Guests at Gray’s Series. Newling is a British artist – a pioneer of public and civic art – art about living. His most recent exhibition; ‘Ecologies of Value’, was held at Nottingham Contemporary earlier this year.